Sunday, February 2, 2020

Coronavirus Outbreak Puts Emphasis on Infection Prevention and Control Measures

For Max Air Systems

Portions of this post have been updated by the client

PR Cuff Shroud Hood 2020 02 16

DATE February 2, 2020- Irvine, CA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. (published site)

Chinese authorities have identified nearly 6,000 confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States. There are ongoing investigations to learn more about how it affects the people who are sick with it, how they can be treated, and what countries can do to respond.
When initially identified in Wuhan City, many of the patients reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, a growing number of patients reportedly have not had exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread is occurring.
As of this writing, NBC has reported that China’s National Health Commission has stated the outbreak has resulted in 7,700 confirmed cases worldwide, and there have been 170 deaths in China according to reporting by the TIME Magazine. It has spread across China and to 16 countries so far including 5 cases in four US states. This new virus has been temporarily named “2019-nCoV.”
What do we know about the 2019-nCoV?
Common human coronaviruses are named for the spiky virions that form a crownlike envelope for the virus. Other forms of coronaviruses include the common cold and viruses such as SARS and MERS.
The viruses cause mild to moderate upper respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold, however, more severe forms can cause pneumonia and death.
Coronaviruses originate in animals — like camels, civets and bats — and are usually not transmissible to humans. But occasionally a coronavirus mutates and can pass from animals to humans and then from human to human, as was the case with the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s.
Symptoms of 2019-nCoV are similar to other MERS-CoV infections and are typically non-specific. At hospital admission, common signs and symptoms include fever, chills/rigors, headache, non-productive cough, dyspnea, and myalgia.
Although the transmission dynamics of the 2019-20 Coronavirus have yet to be determined, the CDC is currently recommending that healthcare workers should obtain a detailed travel history for patients being evaluated with fever and acute respiratory illness.
Patients should be asked to wear a surgical mask as soon as they are identified and be evaluated in a private room with the door closed, ideally an airborne infection isolation room if available. Other precautions outlined by CDC guidelines state that physical proximity of less than 3 feet has been associated with an increased risk for transmission of infections via the droplet route and therefore supports the practice of distancing infected persons from others who are not infected.
Because transmission may be multi-modal, healthcare personnel entering the room should use standard precautions, contact precautions, droplet precautions, airborne precautions, and use eye protection (e.g., goggles or a face shield) and immediately notify the healthcare facility’s infection control personnel and local health department.
In addition, safe injection practices, and use of masks for insertion of catheters or injection of material into spinal or epidural spaces via lumbar puncture procedures (e.g., myelogram, spinal or epidural anesthesia) are recommended. Endotracheal intubation should be performed by a trained and experienced provider using airborne precautions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) cautions that if medical masks are worn, appropriate use and disposal is essential to ensure they are effective and to avoid any increased risk of transmission associated with the incorrect use and disposal of masks. Cloth (e.g. cotton or gauze) masks are not recommended under any circumstances, which is one of the primary reasons MAXAIR Systems were developed.
MAXAIR Advanced PAPR designs provide unprecedented overall safety, comfort, convenience, patient friendliness, and cost effectiveness versus mask respirators and conventional powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). All MAXAIR Systems are NIOSH approved and meet all OSHA loose fitting (no Fit Testing required) PAPR requirements. MAXAIR Systems are meeting todays needs and tomorrows expectations for infection prevention and protection.
Biomedical Devices International is a recognized leader in providing powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) for various environments including healthcare, pharmaceutical manufacturing, bio-research labs, and industrial markets. For nearly 15 years, BMDI has been providing creative solutions to meet the needs wherever personal respiratory and contact concerns demand the highest quality of safety and comfort to the user. The MaxAir CAPR provides workers an unprecedented level of safety, comfort, convenience, and cost effectiveness while protecting them against harmful aerosolized particulates.
Source: CDC: “Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Report-9”; NBC News: “Coronavirus updates: The latest news on the outbreak and the global response”

No comments:

Post a Comment